New Zealand won a record fourth consecutive gold in the Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens yesterday, defeating rivals Australia 24-17 in a closely fought final in Delhi.
Australia came the closest of any team in the competition to match the pace and power of the Kiwi team, and led 17-7 during the second half until three tries in succession shattered their bid for gold.
“It was awesome. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and it wasn’t, but the boys pulled through,” Kiwi flyer Hosea Gear, whose brother Rico won gold in 1998, told AFP afterwards.
After picking up their medals, the team stripped to the waist and performed a celebratory Haka, the country’s traditional rugby dance routine, before they were mobbed by dozens of enthusiastic Games volunteers.
Captain D.J. Forbes admitted the gold medal record had been in the back of the players’ minds during the two-day tournament that saw them crush Wales in the quarter-finals and England in the semis.
“There’s been a lot of pressure on the boys to get the fourth gold medal, but any time you come into a New Zealand team there’s pressure on you to do well,” he said.
Try-scorer Kurt Baker said the victory over southern hemisphere rivals Australia was extra sweet.
“It makes it a bit more exciting beating the Aussies,” he joked.
Australia were disappointed not to end on the top of the podium after their best performance of the Games, with Wallabies winger Lachie Turner capping a fine tournament with a try in the first half and a try-saving tackle in the second.
South Africa won bronze after beating a disappointing England side, who were unable to reproduce the form that led them to a victory over Australia in the pool games on Monday.
The South Africans came from behind to clinch a 17-14 victory in the final minutes with a try by Lubabalo Mtembu. They trailed 14-5 at half-time before a converted try by the impressive Cecil Afrika hauled them back into the contest.
New Zealand have won every Commonwealth Games competition since the sport was introduced in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur.